One Killed, Many Wounded After Shooting Breaks Out Between Ukraine Special Forces And Pro-Russia Separatists

"Ball is in Kiev's court." That is how we concluded our article yesterday reporting that Moscow won't accept force against demonstrators after Kiev warned it would use special forces to quell ongoing "terrorist" uprisings across cities in east Ukraine.

Predictably, Ukraine couldn't wait to shoot the ball right back at Russia and re-escalate (in hope that the west will finally stand up and side along the acting government in what continues to be a very foolish gambit) and early this morning local time, units of the Ukraine special forces started an anti-terrorist operation in eastern town of Slavyansk, where police station was seized yesterday by separatist protesters, as reported by the Interior Minister Arsen Avakov posts on Facebook, who also warned local residents to stay inside, saying separatist protesters have opened fire in direction of approaching special police units.

Moments later the operation turned deadly after at least one member of the special forces was killed and as many as 9 wounded, as well as an unknown number of casualties on the "separatist" side. But most importantly, Russia now has a pretext to step in and "defend" its ethnic population just as it warned it would do.

A Ukrainian special forces officer was killed and five others wounded Sunday in a gunbattle with heavily armed pro-Russian forces who had commandeered a police station in the eastern city of Slavyansk, Ukraine's top police official said.

The firefight erupted early Sunday as Ukrainian forces moved to clear the building where approximately 20 men dressed in camouflage had seized control the day before. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said an unspecified number of the pro-Russian activists had been wounded in the exchange.

This wasn't the only casualty as other firefights broke out in close proximity to the first one.

In addition to the dead and wounded at the police station, Russia's Interfax news agency reported one person was killed and four others wounded in a gunfight at a checkpoint along the road leading from Slavyansk to the regional capital of Donetsk. The Slavyansk operation, dubbed an "antiterrorist action," involved Ukraine's state security service and military and police units from across the country, Mr. Avakov said. "May God be with them," Mr. Avakov wrote on his Facebook page early Sunday, announcing the operation had begun.

A short time later, he said that the men holed up inside the building had begun firing at the Ukrainian forces and urged residents in the center of the eastern Ukrainian city to remain indoors and away from their windows.

Residents reported seeing armored personnel carriers approaching the city and helicopters flying overhead. Russian television station Rossiya 24 reported that tires that had been used as a barricade in front of the building had been set on fire and black smoke could be seen above the city center.

The clash comes after pro-Russia protests spread Saturday in eastern Ukraine, with armed men, some in unmarked, military-style uniforms, moved to commandeer more government buildings.

So now that Ukraine has had its official warning by Lavrov, which it openly ignored, and commenced a crack down on the separatist forces, who may well have been camouflaged Russian army units just like in the Crimea scenario, Kremlin now sees itself fully in its right to cross the border and "defend" people in the east. To be sure, NATO and the west will hardly share Russia's interpretation of events which only means that the situation will further escalate some more.

And if not in Slavyansk, there are more than enough other cities that allow both sides to escalate into lethal gunfights. Reuters reports:

Separatist protesters on Sunday seized control of the mayor's office in the town of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, on the Azov Sea, local media said.

The protesters entered the building following a rally involving about 1,000 people demonstrating in favor of the creation of a separate republic in eastern Ukraine, a local journalist for the newspaper Priazovsky Worker said.

Police did not try to stop them. They entered the offices, took down the Ukrainian flag and were erecting barricades outside the building, the journalist said.

As we said earlier, if this is merely a gambit by Kiev to provoke western nations into action, it will likely fail. Poland PM Tusk explained why earlier when speaking on Polish radio Zet on events in the Ukraine, when he said that he’s “concerned” there is “relatively little will” in EU, other countries to “strongly support Ukraine. Nobody accepts Crimea annexation, but nobody wants to head for sharp conflict. Which also means Poland itself is isolated in a potential expansion next: Tusk said it’s important Russia doesn’t threaten Poland’s security "we need to know how to mobilize international community." Hopefully it will have more success than Ukraine.

Sure enough, the best the west can mobilize was and continues to be nothing more than harsh language.

Russia must desist from steps which destabilise #Ukraine and undermine the possibility of Contact Group talks

I suspect Putin will not invade or escalate since incorporating South West Ukraine into Russia would be a huge burden on its economy. Better to let the US and EU digest this shit sandwich, bail out and restructure the local economies, and then swoop in.

Having said this, Putin is a nationalist and truly cares about Russia, and Russians. He just may be willing to take on the burden for the sake of the collective Russian peoples.

Thats because Obama is not an American. I don't mean he wasn't born in the United States but that he does not identify as an American. He understands America as well as he he understands the "African American" experience. He is a foreign raised half white man child who embraced the marxism of his philandering communist drunkard of a father and reinforced by his marxist mother and grandparents.

Obama used every opportunity to learn his radicalism at the feet of Frank Marshall Davis and honed his Saul Alinksy tactics while working as a "community organizer" lawyer for Acorn.

Obama is closer in mind to the old Soviet russians than Putin is. Obama is a marxist who governs as a Fascist

Looks like the Ukrainian's do have a set of balls after all! Good for them, fvck russia....even if they do get their asses kicked, at least the stood for something besides communism.

fvck all communists and those that support them...

I sure wish we had a real president in the oval...bathhouse barry, is the 5th column!

I don't care where he was freaking born (Kenya/Hawaii??), his mother renounced her (and his) citizenship to move to Indonesia, to marry the Sotero fella...he could not have attended a madras if he was not Indonesian. So no, bathhouse barry is something of an inigma, why do you think he spends millions to hide his college records. It would show he applied to those schools as a foreign national...pure and simple.

The Green and Yellow tape around the wrists are expedient identification "badges". Likely to identify either Status (i.e. Militia, Former Police, Merc, Specwar Operator [Spetsnaz], etc), Area of responsibility or something along those lines.

You get a lot of civvies wandering in and out and need to identify quickly who is who if shooting starts.

If you could just put a point across you would be dangerous eh, invincible? Your incoherent ramblings show your ignorance. More captialism in Russia, LOL, there is no capitalism ANYWHERE dumb ass. fvcking morons, all you stupid assholes can do is hit the green or red arrow and spew ignorance, go fvck yourselves, you know NOTHING, but what you are told to believe. You believe everything you read and hear, but trouble is you have been disinformed...only a handful here get it, the rest of you bobble heads have no fvcking clue what is going on, nor of the history of the world, and you certainly have no idea about current events.

Keep the bags over your heads, cause where you are going, will not be pretty...sleep on little sheeple, to the slaughter you go now!

Aw, either someone is butthurt about Russia or they are butthurt about Obama being a fraud. I doubt it is Obama fanboys.

Putin didn't become the richest man in Europe without killing people. Do you really think he isn't interested in being the richest man alive? How many people do you think he is willing to kill to attain that lofty perch? If you put that much faith in a tyrant you are a fool.

Just where did these "protesters" get those SBRs? How come the protesters on the Maidan weren't similarly armed? If you think about questions like that you cannot simply buy the Russian side of the story whole any more than you can the US version.

Russia still has propaganda and disinformation agents working throughout Europe and America. One of them talks to the White House press corps every day. Even if extremely detestable, the Obama administration (and more) has been one of the most amazing foreign intelligence operations ever run. You think I'm lying or wrong? Cui Bono?

First consider Obama's background (above). Next consider how he has presided over the destruction of the middle class, realignment of US Mil to personal loyalty, wealth and asset exportation (to where?), allowing vast amounts of secret intel to be stolen by Wikileaks, Snowden, Russians, and Chinese. Finally consider the repeated bellicosity and resulting humiliation of this country on the world stage. How on earth can you believe that the man who said he would have more flexibility after his election to a Russian President is not a puppet for the east? Everything he has done has weaked this country and given space to Russia and China. Who actually believes that the leadership in those countries isn't in on the gag?

Ukraine, as in east versus west, is just a show. They are all on the same team (tyranny). They may fight each other to determine who gets to be the supreme leader but it won't benefit us the people regardless of who wins. They are all bad guys and will do God awful things to us.

First consider Obama's background (above). Next consider how he has presided over the destruction of the middle class, realignment of US Mil to personal loyalty, wealth and asset exportation (to where?), allowing vast amounts of secret intel to be stolen by Wikileaks, Snowden, Russians, and Chinese."

What is this "allowed"? A plane thought to be carrying Snowden was forced to land, humilliating the leader on the plane.

Obama has presided over the destruction of the middle class. So did the President before him. It is a long ongoing trend.

To be the CEO of the "UNITED STATES" the corporation sole you have to be related to the royal family and that he is , and so were all the other presidents ,sorry CEO it does not matter where you were born .

I don't think Obama is more Soviet than Putin. Putin seems more intelligent. Putin seems wiser from experience. Putin has the advantage of not having to really deal with domestic pressures. For the part of benevolent stongman, Putin is much better suited and Russia is much more compliant.

But the gap has been closing until the Feds tried to take on the Bundi range in Nevada. I thought that maybe they actually intended to go after the Bunny Ranch in Nevada but then realized the Secret Service was not involved.

ya we hijacked humanity alright, you moron, with liberty and freedon, then the fabian socialists took over about 100 years ago, and have been stripping that freedom daily...we are no longer America, we are now Amerika (USSA)...

The truth is that the globalists have hijacked the US and the EU. Only now are a few awakening to this fact and it is all but too late to reverse course as they have seized control of all aspects of western society via the invisible hand. Everything from the monetary system to military, medical to social welfare, education to media, all at our expense. The matrix isn't that far from the truth in a metaphorical way.

I bet you learned that in college. More proof of the intentional misundereducation of America if so.

What, pray tell, exactly is wrong with natural rights? If you don't believe if it then you really should recognize that you do not have the right to say anything critical of it. If you do believe in natural rights then you do have the right to criticize, even if you find no need. Do you understand the irony? No, didn't think so. I'll try again.

Without natural rights (which you apparently don't believe in) you do not have the right to criticize anything. Your betters will tell you what is right and wrong and how to live and die.

Without natural rights you have no betters. It can be hard to think for yourself but with natural rights that is your responsibility. You should try it sometime.

I am having difficulty believing any defense official is stupid enough to send a handful of soldiers, special force or not, to retake a fairy large building seized by hundreds of armed people. Are there actual photos of wounded and dead soldiers? Until I see them, I call a bullshit on this news.

These are much different circumstances, the US is trying to inch ever closer to Russia's doorstep. Also, you mentioned in other posts that eastern Ukraine would be a burden on Russia's economy. How so? It could be a boon since Russia might actually get paid for their natgas.

It should be done even if it were a huge burden, Russia needs a buffer zone. It would not be an armed occupation, this isn't Iraq we're talking about. The vast majority of eastern Ukraine is Russian and wants protection by the motherland.

To put things into perspective, what would the US do if Russia instigated a coup in Mexico, then flooded the Mexico / US border with subversives? I'm pretty sure the SWHTF long before now. Vlad holds all the cards and he knows it. He doesn't have to do anything except tighten the noose on the EU and tell John Kerry to fuck off. Russia's alliances with the BRICS and the fact the the US is in the shitter only strengthens his position. The worry is a US false flag op in the region which will justify NATO troops. The US is going to drag the EU into this whether they like it or not.

I think a false flag is a guarantee, Putin should secure the areas to keep that from happening. If NATO is smart they will be sitting this one out or else it will be a very cold winter. I think Germany in particular is tired of EU and US bullshit, look for them to help restore some sanity to the situation.

Putins strategy is to secure the areas Kharkiv-Dnipro-Odesa in order to control the sounthern pipelines (supply to romania, bulgaria and turkey).. the northern pipelines supplies western europe, and that would take a full-blown invasion which is not gonna happen now.

..a bonus is also securing the whole black-sea coastline.

Matter of days rather than weeks before the heavy war-machinery starts rolling across the border

@Latina Lover - thanks for the link. Its a decent article, seems to have been written by a banker. It doesn't go deep enough into the neo-con angle and their positioning in the region militarily in order to surround Russia. F. William Endahl writes on both the energy and geo strategic aspects of the Ukraine issue. His interviews and articles can be found on the web. Regards - - -

But, Putin has also stated that he would not stand by while ethnic Russians in the Ukraine were physically attacked.

Which comes first... chicken or egg?

In addition Lavarov said that any attacks by the Kiev faction might hamper or cancel 4 party talks on Ukraine.

Check.

Did the group in charge in Kiev learn nothing from the recent mistakes of Geogia?

Exactly what were those naieve folks in charge in Kiev promised if they attacked ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine? ... Same as Sakishvelli (sp?) in Georgia was promised? Same as Suddam was promised?

One thing we know for sure; Putin does not want China as his only customer for gas/oil... and he is meeting in China to negotiate gas price exports to China very soon. If Putin loses Western Europe as a gas/oil customer, even for a short time, this could have a big impact on gas price negotiations with China. This a very unlikely scenario imo.

Putin still holding a very good hand even if he invades Eastern Ukraine or all of it.

Why would he have to do that? His gas export is secure. Ukraine's bills will get paid or Europe will get cold. He has all the leverage in the status quo.

Perhaps he really wants the frack fields and farmlands of eastern Europe. Is Russia still a net importer of food or are they self sufficient now (I really don't know about now but they used to be an importer)?

In a past speech, Putin was mis reported by the western media as saying that the fall of the USSR was a tragedy. What he really said was that if you did not regret the fall of the USSR, you do not have a heart. But, if you wish to restore the USSR, you do not have a brain.

Better for Putin to have friendly neutral neighbors trading between each other than to try and control sullen subjugated populations.

and...by owning the distribution points Russia will not have to deal with skimming and middle-man costs. EU will probably get cheaper and more reliable energy from Russia. On the other hand, this hands Russia more political power and control.

But, overall it is probably more stable arrangement to have Russia manage the energy/cash flow and zero out all Ukraine debts.

As you know, our scumbag government never does anything for only one reason, but to attain multiple objectives. In this case, one of the critical objectives of the the US financed, Nuland led coup was remove the Russian Fleet from Sevastopol Crimea.

Notice how the US had warships stationed in the black sea, and how Russia scuttled ships blocking the Ukrainian navy in port? Did Russia really fear the ukraininan navy, or were they more worried that the illegal government in Kiev would invite US warships to station themselves in Crimea?

Sevastopol is the Russian Navies only major warm water port in Europe, and is critical to controlling the black sea. Look at crimea on a map, and it is literally a super carrier occupying the upper third of the black sea, and able to control the entire region. Moreover, the resupply of Syria, and Iran, is primarily via russian ships stationed in the black sea.

Had the nulandites succeeded in ejecting Russia, they would have severely weaken Russia's ability to project power, and support Syria's Assad against the US led rebels. Were Syria to fall, then pipelines from Quatar could be built delivering cheap gas to europe, also destroying Gazproms european monopoly. The potential profits were in the hundreds of billions per year.

By Putin capturing Crimea, he now controls the black sea, protects his southern flank, protects the Gazprom monopoly, and pokes a great big stick up the US state departments ass. Why do you think the western echo chamber media is so shrilly anti Putin? Their controllers are extremely angry over being outmanuvered by Putin.

Putin is a KGB colonel, a ruthless assasin who would boil his own mother in oil should the "Plan" require it.

But it is impossible to make good investment decisions if you allow the western echo chamber media to distort facts. I am interested in truth, wherever it may lead, even if I don't like the answer. If you want to make money, I suggest reading material that does not comport with your pre conceived conclusions, starting with foreign media.

hey joy to the world, dont you have a unicorn to go ride? Then at the end of the trail of tears, you can eat all the skittles you want. The ignorance is yours, and you can have it. I know what I am talking about, but sadly, most people have no idea what is about to happen...good luck with that LOL!!!

I like to identify idiots on this board AND tell them that they have been identified.

Of course, is just my opinion but I like to look at it as a civic duty too...

In your case, it only took about 3 of your posts to qualify.

Here's a little secret for free: arrows (green or red) measure not only the popularity of your ideas (showing how much others agree with them), but also their efficiency. A controversial idea would usually show a balanced number of green & red arrows, while a truly stupid one will collect reds in a hurry. Even better, once people start seeing you bleed a lot of red, they tune you out for the foreseable future. Some of them would keep giving you reds for the kicks of it (and because you piss them off, not as much through your expressed ideas as through your expressed character and language).

If you want to be a clown of this board, be my guest... just don't expect people to take you too seriously.

ROFLMAO, see what I mean, this type of shit is funny to me; problem is one day you won't be laughing in your ignorance any more! You will see, just give it a bit more time you dumb fvck!

You eurotrash idiots are the ones fvcking things up too!! So point your little finger at 'evil americans', three are pointing right back at ya. The USA will not save your sorry little butts again, so fvck off!

The situation was very complicated after the breakup of the USSR. Russia wanted to maintain a smaller CIS union but the Ukrainian president prefered to be more independent, to make it easier to steal from his populace. Russia was too weak to do anything, and didn't necessarily care since the Ukraine was a pro russian, or at least neutral state.

When sociopaths leaders of Russia steal other nations land it is because they have a desire to take on burdens. But when other countries sociopaths do the same thing they are evil. What in the bell do Russians ingest that make them so blind?

I know that Russia can't print funny money like the US, but I'm having a hard time imagining how it would be much of a burden on Russia's economy. It needs to be done even if it was a huge burden, Russia needs to secure a buffer zone to keep the US as far away from Moscow as possible.

Ukraines real debts are over 80 Billion, and counting. Moreover, their infrastructure is in horrible shape and will require tens of billions to moderize. Think West Germany assuming East Germany's economy and debts, and you get the idea. Absorbing, say 20 million more people into Russia (pop 145 million) will result in a substantial economic shock. If Ukraine ws to default on their debts, however, Russia could acquire them for much less.

Honestly, I can't say how it should play out, but I think Putin will not risk substantial damage to Russia's economy.

Debt in dollars don't mean shit. If the dollar collapses, Ukraine will be able to pay that off for an hour's wage of babysitting once hyperinflation sets in. Putin doesn't want all of Ukraine anyway, just enough to secure his borders. Actually, he really doesn't want any of Ukraine other than Crimea but his hand is being forced.

The hope of recent financial actions by Russia, China, and Iran is to free the world from the grip of dollar extortion. The dominoes have already been set in motion, you don't seem to have a grasp of the current state of affairs.

If Putin is a nationalist and truly cares about Russia, and Russians then why is his own government flooded with Zionists with dual citizenship? Putin is a gangster, a thug, and a thief.

Under Putin Russia lost 15% of its Russian population. Almost all his own money is managed and hided all around world by Jews like Vekselberg and Abramovitch. At the same time, Putin put Russian nationalists in prisons. He is for NWO. He is only pissed off because other gangsters are moving on this territory.

This is all about international oligarchs/gangsters like the USA, Britain, France, Israel, and Russia who are trying to screw upand enslave everybody else including their own people.

This fight between Putin vs NATO is like Republicans vs Democrats in America. They are all working for the same masters!

The u.s. better take a cue from what happened in nevada with Cliven Bundy and gtfo the region before shit escalates. Nothing gets nerves going more than enemy warships in very close proximity. We dont need war with russia! Damn central bankers will profit on both sides! More THEFT, OPPRESSION AND WAR and we are already tapped out!

Doesn't feel like that even though everythign is pointing in that direction.

If anything, mid-week this week, something will give, something will take and there will either be a detente for a few months while the focus shifts back to Syria or South China Sea or MH 370 or whatever.

What we have to do is get used to constant state of tension somewhere or the other in the world.

Yes SW, all too true, a quote from Dune says it best re. psycipaths...

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted.

MSM her in Los Angeles this morning said nobody died and sounds like its really not that bad in Ukaraine at the moment. I suspect the market will open in the GREEN tomorrow and we will be near record highs. The NY Fed I am sure will do what it can to make it look like the market will be the place to be.

Was it pitched as get rich quick deal, or with the caveat that one needs almost patience with red tape in Ghana as in India? The political and legal situation with the dominant party seems relatively stable (especially compared to the F/X volatility), again sort of like India, just swap IMF for Gold in the MSM headlines...

If you do it the right way, the regulatory risk is relatively low. The current .gov focus is on non-permitted operations and legal entities that take full advantage of all the NWO tax dodges available in Ghana (and there are plenty). Land titles are a mess, even if you miraculously find an apparently clean one -- do the meet and greet with the locals and gather testaments, and then have it properly surveyed and marked and submit the surveys with the final title paperwork. Most of my experience with gold in Ghana is more downstream which is where the big headaches are/were. PMMC used to have a tighter monopoly on legal exports which affected pricing for smaller players, PPMC decided @2009? (old timers' setting in) to loosen up and make up for it on volume. Since I'm in Switzerland -- Metalor, Argor et al. are very particular about the paperwork and source of raw gold shipments to refiners for GDB casting , and they rarely deal with anyone outside of the majors, the PMMC, or on occasion- the Assap Vassa refinery in Accra (reputable management and I can vouch for the EU sourced machines they use - up to 99.99% pure product). If you are exporting to Dubai or Hong Kong they tend to be a bit more lenient with provenance and custody (of course there are high priced whores/middlemen in Switzerland who will pimp their reputations and relations with the local refiners should one's paperwork not be in order). Spreadsheets can be goalseeked to say anything (and I plead to that one myself), more important are the management CV's do they collectively have the qualifications, experience, track recored, and connections to get the operation off the ground smoothly- specifically are there retired senior personnel from the relevant government Ministry(s) on the board (revolving door heresy here at ZH, but the assclowns who answer the .gov phone aren't going to get you copy of supposedly "public" policy documents in this lifetime or free of charge, but they will do it for their old boss or co-worker...) If you're looking for help with gold suppositories to get past Indian border patrol, I can't help you, but I hear Blythe might be looking for work these days... (just my GHS .02)

It's a publicly traded equity in a manipulated market. On a really long (geological) timeline it focuses on a good neighborhood to find real gold. Thanks for the compliment, but I am not particularly familiar with Goldenstar. FWIW the person responsible for managing my fiat savings/gambling must not dislike it, as they park some of the over-weighted "gold" allocation in Goldenstar.

good luck ukraine, you let in millions of russians, now they own the land... don't worry about millions of illegals crossing into USSA, they love America, and would never try to take the land, La RAZA.

latina, and so? the land always is, who owns it changes thru time, a nation is what the population thinks it is, a ghost an illusion..call me russian call me ukrainian call me american call me azlatan, never call me serf, slave, boot licker.